Hay-press.



' PATBNTED MAY 25, 1905.

G. A. BRIDGES.

HAY PRESS.

APPLIOATION FILED snPT.'2a.19o4.`

2 SHEETS-BH ET l.

Witnesses: I

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No. 790,555. PATENTED MAY 23, 1905'. l A. BRIDGES. I l

HAY PRESS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23.1904.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'UNITED STATES Patented May 23, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

OLAUD A. BRIDGES, OF ALEXANDRIA, TENNESSEE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No3 790,555, dated May 23, 1905.

Application filed September 25, 1904. Serial No. 225.659. l i

To @ZZ wle/07051, it may concern:

Be it known that l, CLAUD A. Bremens, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alexandria, in the county of Dekalband State of Tennessee, have invented anew and useful Hay-Press, of which the following is a specification. g

This invention relates to hay-presses.

The object of the invention is to improve the mechanism for actuating the plunger whereby with the minimum expenditure of labor the maximum pressure shall be secured, to increase the number of strokes of the plunger during one rotation of the sweep, thereby tc augment the outputof the apparatus, and generally to improve and simplify the construction of the plunger-actuating mechanism.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a hay-press, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, there is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable ofcarrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the elements therein exhibited may be varied or changed as to shape, proportion, and exact manner of assemblage without departing from the spirit thereof.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partlyin section, of a portion of a hay.- press embodying the features of the 'present invention. Eig. 2 is a perspective detail view of the plunger-actuating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a view in transverse section. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view showing certain parts of the plungeractuating mechanism notl clearly disclosed in Eig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view of a portion of the plunger-actuating mechanism. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modied form of clutch. l

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the baling-chamber, which may be of the usual or any preferred construction and provided with springs 2, of which there may be any desired number, for holding the head-blocks in position when the plunger isv on its back stroke. The baling-chamber is also provided with a hopper 3, as usual, and with longitudinal slots 4, throughwhich the wire isinserted' for holding the bale in shape. Working within the chamber is a plunger 5, which may be constructed in any preferred manner and is provided with rollers 6, which travel upon the floor of the chamber, and thus reduce its friction to a minimum; The outer or rear side of the plunger is reinforced by cleats 6a, of which there maybe any number, four being shown in this instance, and is further strengthened by angular braces 7, ofwhich there are two in number, the upper ends of which are secured to the side cleats and their lower ends to a pair of slide-rods 8, .which work in guides 9, arranged on each side of the frame of the baling-chamben'the slide-rods being connected ata point adjacent to their outer ends by a cross-bar 10. The mechanismv for actuating the plunger in this `instance consists of two members forming va toggle-lever-a main lever 11-and a pair of fulcrum-levers 12. YThe lower end of the main lever is disposed between the two inner cleats `and is mounted for rocking movement upon a rod 13 and extending through all of the cleats andV serving thereby additionally to brace the plunger. The upper end of the main lever carries a .yoke 14, in which is mounted a sheave 15, the yoke being braced on each side by plates 16, as clearly shown in Eig. 1. The upper ends of the fulcrum-levers are secured on bpposite sides ofthe-main lever by a bar 17, and their lower ends are mounted upon a bar 18, extending'transversely ofthe baling-chamber frame, said bars being held properlyspaced with relation to each other by a spacing-block 19 and held from contact with the sides of the chamber-frame by spacing-blocks 20; Connecting with the cross-bar 10 is one end of a coiled spring 21, the other end 0f which is connected with a sheave-yoke22, carried'by the rear sill-piece 23 of the chamber-frame;

plunger automatically to resume its-normal or retracted position, as shown inliig. 1,'af-

The function of this spring is to cause the' i ter each stroke, and as this will be readily understood further description is deemed unnecessary.

The mechanism for actuating the togglelever comprises a lever 23a, which is mounted upon a vertical shaft 24, carried by a frame 25, the upper end'of the shaft having connected with it a sweep 26 of the usual or any preferred construction and carrying a swingletree 27. The shaft 24 carries a collar 28, which is rigid with and holds the shaft against dropping, said collar forming a brakeblock, as will presently appear. The collar works upon a Journal-box 29, carried by one of the cross-pieces 30 of the frame 25, and the upper portion of the shaft works in a similar journal-box 31, carried by a crosspiece 32. The lower end of the shaft, or that beneath the cross-piece 30, is provided with two square portions 33 and'34 and an intermediate round portion 35, and upon this latter portion works the plunger-actuating lever 23a, as will be seen by reference to Fig. l. This lever is braced against sagging and any tendency to upward or downward movement in use through the medium of a bracerod 36, one end of which is connected near the free end of the lever, and the other end is provided with an opening to receive the shaft 24. The square portions 33 and 34 are engaged by clutch members 37 and 38, the upper clutch member 37 being held spaced from the brace 36 by a collar or washer 39 and the lower clutch member 38 being held upon the shaft by a nut 40. As shown in Fig. 4 the clutch members are provided with three teeth 4l and as shown in Fig. 6 are provided with iive teeth. Where but three teeth are provided, u on one rotation of the sweep a stroke and a alf Will be imparted to the plunger, while where five teeth are employed two strokes will be imparted to the plunger on each complete rotation of the sweep. These teeth are engaged by a dog carried by the lever 23n and comprising a pair of arms 41a, disposed on opposite sides of the lever and held combined therewith by a pivot-bolt 42 and a detent 43, carried by the arms and disposed to engage teeth, the said detent being preferably circular in crosssection. The detent is held in engagement With the faces of the clutches through the medium of a spring 44, one end of which is secured to the lever at 45 and the other end of which is secured in any suitable manner to the arms.

The free end of the lever 23aL carries a post 46, upon which is mounted a sheave 47, Which is engaged by one end of an operatingrope 48, the other end of which is passed between a pair of sheaves 49, carried by a frame 49a, and which connects the power mechanism with the baling-chamber, thence around the sheave 22, thence over the sheave 25, and its free end is connected with `a cross-bar 50,

connecting side uprights 51 of the balingchamber frame.

The brake-block 28, to which referem-,e has been made, is engaged by the intermediate portion of a leaf-spring 52, which constitutes a brake-shoe, one end of the spring being permanently attached to a cross-piece 53 on the frame 25 and the other end being ad justably connected with a cross-piece 54 of the said frame. The means for holding the lixed end of the spring in this instance consists of an angle-iron 55, having one end secured to the cross-piece 53, and has projecting through 1t a pin or bolt 56, which engages an eye formed on the end of the spring. The opposite end of the spring is held in proper position by an angle-iron 57, provided with a series oll openings 58, one of which is engaged by a pin or bolt 59, the other end of which is seated in an orifice in the cross-piece 54. By shifting the pin 59 to either of the openings 58 the frictional contact between the brake-shoe and the brake-block may be varied to increase or diminish it, as may be necessary.

In operation of the machine hay or straw is supplied to the baling-chamber through the hopper 3, as usual, and the horse then starts around. As soon as the shaft 24 begins to turn the lever 23a is swung and in its movement draws back upon the rope 48, thereby depressing the free end of the lever 11 and causing the plunger to be projected. Of course it will be understood that there will be a head-block placed in the chamber before the straw or hay is fed thereto. As the rotation of the lever is continued the lever 1l. is also moved, causing the hay to be compressed, and by the time the limit of the forward stroke of the plunger has been ellectcd the springs 2 are passed, and these spring out and hold the head-block against rearward movement. The wire is then placed around the bale in the ordinary manner. When the lever 23a is moved through one-half the stroke and starts to pass the dead-center, the spring 21 then exerts its power and causes the lever to return to its normal position, in doing which the detent slides over the faces of the teeth and engages a fresh pair. lt is at this point that the brake-block and springshoe come into play, as without these the rapid return stroke of the lever 23L would tend to rotate the shaft in the opposite direction from that in which it has been Inoving, and this would cause the sweep to strike against the horse but as the pressure from the brake-shoe is always on the brake-block when the lever returns to its normal position the sweep is not moved, The time that it takes for the horse to travel to a point where tension will again be placed upon the rope 48 will be sufficient to enable the operators to supply the baling chamber with a fresh charge of hay or straw.

Where a clutch having live teeth, as shown IOO f in Fig. 6, is used, two complete strokes of the plunger will result from each complete rotation of the sweep; but where three teeth are employed, as shown in Fig. 2, only one and a half strokes of the plunger will ensue.

By the provision of the frame 49 athe power mechanism and baling chamber are kept properly spaced and are held in fixed coperative relation with each other, and, further,

as the frame 'lies upon the ground the horse will not have to step high in order to avoid it, as is necessary with most machines of this character.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that although the apparatus of this invention is exceedingly simple of construction it combines in a thoroughly practical manner all of the essentials requisite necessary to the presentation 'of a thoroughly effective machine. There being no intricate parts, liability of damage in use is reduced to a minimum, and, further, where such 'damage takes place it may be readily repaired.

I-Iaving thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. In a haypress', a plunger.- operating mechanism embodying a driven shaft, a plurality of toothed clutch members carried thereby and held from rotation thereon, a lever loosely mounted upon the shaft between the members and carrying a detent to engage the teeth of the clutches, and a brake mechanism coacting with the shaft.

the clutches, a detent carried by the lever to engage the teeth of the clutch members, and brake mechanism coacting with the shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

p OLAUD A. BRIDGES.

Witnesses:

II. L. W. GRoss, DIH DINGER. 

